Kmart president says his workers looked forward to a 6 a.m. shift on Thanksgiving

Kmart's president says that waking up for a 6 a.m. shift on
Thanksgiving is "great fun" for his workers.

"So many of my associates that I talk to actually thoroughly
enjoy today because it’s a great experience for us to have fun
with our customers on one of the busiest days of the
year," Alasdair James
told Sapna Maheshwari at Buzzfeed.

He also said that the "majority" of workers "look forward"
to the experience.

Kmart opened early Thanksgiving morning to gain an
edge on competitors like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Those
retailers typically open later in the day.

The discount retailer, which is owned by Sears, has lost
market share in recent years. James joined the brand in 2014
after working for British retailer Tesco.

Sales at Kmart stores open at least a year declined 7.3% in
the most recent quarter.

The company's deals included $3 toasters and $6
jeans.

While Thanksgiving has largely replaced Black Friday as a
shopping day, some retailers are bucking the trend.

Outdoor brand REI
offered its workers a paid day off on Thanksgiving so they
could spend time with their families. Staples and H&M are
also closed on Thanksgiving.